The show begins by announcing that there are three big names associated with early radio. As on reviewer pointed out correctly, the show oddly omitted Nicola Tesla and should have at least mentioned him.

The first was de Forest. According to everything I saw about him, he was an incredibly ugly man--and I am talking about his soul, not his face. He seemed to delight in taking credit for other peoples' work and would, in some cases, sue the inventors--taking credit for their work! While he was responsible for popularizing radio and combining others' work to make better products, he was also an opportunist who, at times, seemed like a huckster.

Second was Armstrong (probably the least horrible of the three men--hence he was the least successful in many ways!!). He was the brilliant inventor whose many innovations made radio for the masses as well as brought the world FM radio. He was very bright--and naturally de Forest spent decades suing him (and vice-versa) after de Forest 'borrowed' his invention and claimed credit for it.

Finally, there was Sarnoff--who invented nothing nor did he claim to. Instead, he was instrumental in spreading radio to the masses and eventually became the head of both RCA and NBC--a giant in the radio industry indeed.

I think this documentary worked very well for one reason apart from the fact that Ken Burns is a freakin' genius at making films. The despicable nature of these three men made for an interesting film. Had they been nice and 'played well' together, the film just wouldn't have been as fascinating. Such cut-throat and obsessed guys, while personally repulsive, made for great competition and drive and viewing, that's for sure! So is the film perfect? Nah. Tesla should have been at least mentioned and several other figures from the early days of radio are omitted (these three men were NOT the only ones who made and popularized radio). But, considering the time constraints of the length of the film, I can certainly understand these things. Unless it was a mini-series, you cannot possibly cover everything that SHOULD be covered (if such a thing is even possible). Well done and quite compelling.

This reminds me of why I got into radio. I started in radio running old time radio shows at WRVO in Oswego NY. This documentary fills in the history for me. I am a very big fan of old time radio like the Great Gildersleeve and "the Shadow" and this sparked my interest. I highly recommend this film for those interested in how our current radio was born. If you want to know the pioneers and the "cads" watch this film for a great background! I think that it gives the controversy a little kick. I think that the invention of the radio tube is still a issue. As one of the commentaries talk about, the development of the audion was a controversial thing. Hope you enjoy it as much as I do!

Ken Burns hits another one out of the ballpark! This amazing examination of the genesis of radio reveals the principals for what they really were: Marconi is quickly dismissed for his disinterest and lack of vision (and a knowing nod to Tesla), Lee DeForest, a social outcast with questionable ethics and more dumb luck than genius, David Sarnoff as the cunning capitalist and Edwin Armstrong, the dynamic tragic force behind the medium. Burns reveals DeForest's feet of clay: he stumbled upon the heterodyne circuit yet couldn't explain how it worked! Armstrong, comprehending it's function, vastly improves upon the design, creating the super-heterodyne, virtually invents FM and briefly becomes General Electric's largest stockholder before falling as a pawn to the Machiavellian manipulations of David Sarnoff. This plays like a corporate soap opera set against the dominate mass medium of a the first half of the 20th Century. Small complaint: the introduction is far too drawn out before the story begins. Unless you're a radio buff it's unlikely you'll recognize the names (or voices) of those being interviewed. But this is a minor quibble--- Empire of the Air is an entertaining exercise in history and rates right up there with Burns' Horatio's Drive. 10 out of 10.